1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatus and methods for setting up and managing large numbers of storage volumes.
2. Background of the Invention
Currently, in operating systems such as Multiple Virtual Storage (MVS) and z/OS, a user needs to perform various actions to get a volume online. One of the most important tasks when initializing a volume is to properly establish and set up a Volume Table of Contents, or VTOC. The VTOC is a data structure that enables data sets to be located in a particular volume. The VTOC typically resides in the first 64K tracks on the volume, and lists the name, size, location, and permissions of each data set on the volume. The VTOC keeps track of which extents in the volume are allocated to particular data sets and which extents in the volume are free.
To locate a data set, an application may initially look in a data structure called a “catalog” to determine the volume in which the data set resides. Once the correct volume is determined, the application may look in the volume's VTOC to determine exactly where in the volume the data set resides. A data set may reside in contiguous extents or be spread out over non-contiguous extents in the volume.
In addition to the setting up the VTOC, other attributes of the volume may need to be determined before bringing a volume online. For example, a volume name (e.g., volume serial number) may be selected for a volume prior to bringing it online. Other issues such as whether data sets in the volume will be storage management subsystem (SMS) managed and, if so, what SMS-managed storage groups the volume need to belong to, may need to be addressed before volumes are brought online. Ensuring that volumes are properly set up can consume a considerable amount of time and energy, particularly when dealing with hundreds or even thousands of new volumes.
In view of the foregoing, what are needed are apparatus and methods to more effectively manage and set up large numbers of storage volumes.